Lewis County High School (Weston, West Virginia) Explained

Lewis County High School
Type:Public
Gender:Co-ed
Principal:John Whiston
Address:205 Minuteman Drive
City:Weston
State:West Virginia
Zipcode:26452
Country:United States
Enrolment:677 (2019-20)[1]
Nickname:Minutemen
Colors:Blue & Gray

Lewis County High School was created in 1966 with the consolidation of Weston High School, Jane Lew High School and Walkersville High School in Lewis County, West Virginia. The original Lewis County High School was located on Court Street in Weston, West Virginia. The Weston Colored School's one high school student was absorbed into Weston High in 1954 after the historic Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Lewis County High moved to its present location, just south of Weston, in 1994. The original Lewis County High now serves as Robert L. Bland Middle School.

Lewis County High School is a grade 9-12 school with an enrollment of 677 students. LCHS serves Lewis County, West Virginia which has a rural population of about 16,500 people.

Colors and Mascot

Lewis County High School adopted its colors, blue & gray, and nickname, Minutemen, from Weston High School, the largest of the three schools that consolidated. Weston High School adopted the colors in the 1910s and the nickname in the 1920s. Jane Lew's school colors were red & black and the nickname was Redskins. Walkersville's school colors were blue & white and the nickname was Broncos.

Media

Lewis County High School students operate an online newspaper named "The Blue and Grey."[2] Students also operate a television station, WLC. The high school yearbook is named the "Collicola."

JROTC

LCHS maintains an Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps[3] program and is available to students at all grade levels.

Athletics

LCHS is a member of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC)[4] and competes at the Class AA level. The athletic department is in the 13 school Big Ten Conference.

Music

The music department at Lewis County is well known for their bands and choirs, which serve over 150 students. Performance based ensembles at the school include marching, pep, concert, and jazz bands; a percussion ensemble; a concert choir; a vocal ensemble; and a bluegrass band.

The band program at LCHS is directed by Allen Heath, a Lewis County graduate. The marching band boast over 100 members for its 2023-2024 season. During the fall, the marching band serves the community and football teams. In the winter, there is a pep band that performs at basketball games. There is also a concert band in the winter, which continues through the spring. The jazz band and percussion ensembles rehearse and perform throughout the year. The bluegrass band, also known by LC Blue, is directed by Mark Lynch, a retired science teacher.

The choirs at Lewis County High perform community events, competitions, and school events regularly. The Minutemen Melodics, the top choir at LCHS, has previously worked with names such as Eric Whitacre and attends multiple choral festivals across the state. The choirs at Lewis County High School were directed by Martina Kiser from 2015 to 2018. In the fall of 2018, the position was taken by Seth Stemple. Later, in 2020, Martina Kiser returned to direct the LCHS choir.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Seven Class AA schools reclassified starting in 2020-2021 season. 22 November 2019.
  2. Web site: The Blue & Grey – The Online Newspaper of Lewis County High School. www.thebluegrey.com.
  3. Web site: Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. www.airuniversity.af.mil.
  4. Web site: WVSSAC. www.wvssac.org.